WATCH: Ferris & Sylvester 'I Dare You'

Having recently played shows around the country on their biggest headline tour Ferris & Sylvester are back with a newly released video for recent single I Dare You. While they're sometimes an understated duo musically, this track and video sees them passionate and loud, it's a bit of an explosive powerhouse of a track. Speaking about the video, they shared that "it felt right to create something bold and vibrant. We shot the video whilst we were on tour and wanted to capture how it felt to play the song night after night. The song is angry and aggressive and we were keen to throw all of that at it. It certainly shows a darker shade of us and we're proud to have it out there." 
 

With a set coming up in January (28th at Oslo) for the UK Americana Awards Showcase, the duo are then off to tour around Europe with Jade Bird - a brilliant pairing!

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WATCH: Bear’s Den - 'The Star of Bethnal Green'

Today is very very very exciting because I'm taking a trip down to London after work to see the Bear's Den Christmas concert for CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably). True to form they've got a superb line-up alongside them with Matthew & The Atlas, Christof van der Ven, Seramic and Wovoka Gentle, AND the show is in a church. It's going to be a beautiful evening and all for a good cause - I can't wait! For now though, I'm revelling in the beauty of their brand new music video for The Star of Bethnal Green, taken from their recent Only Son of the Falling Snow EP. 

The track is about somebody at Christmas watching a singer in a bar and feeling overwhelmed by the performance, feeling as if their entire life and identity is revealed to them through the song. The video was written and directed by award-winning trans director, actor and activist Jake Graf - the band met Jake and his wife after a London show and were desperate to find something to collaborate on, and this was the perfect opportunity! Playing on the story of the ghost of Christmas past, the video highlights the pandemic of violence against trans people. 

Jake Graf shares that "as a trans man who grew up without any positive representations to aspire to, I know how important it is that we start seeing more trans visibility in the mainstream media. We have seen more and more allies to the community standing up and being counted but as our tiny trans community continues to be attacked and vilified we truly need all the support that we can get [...] trans murders have hit an all time high, with trans women in particular being targeted. This film combines the magic of Christmas with the powerful and hopeful story of an older trans woman being guided towards living as her authentic self. Older LGBTQ people are so often overlooked in cinema and the media that it felt like an important choice to depict such a rarely seen character."

Actor Jordan Revell talks about her involvement in the video, sharing that "I'm extremely proud to have worked with Jake Graf and Bear's Den on the video, telling a truth experienced by many trans people around the world. This story is personal to me as a transgender woman experiencing the fear of coming out, being mocked and discriminated against by the majority on a daily basis. I'm perhaps one of the lucky ones who so far has managed to avoid threats, acts of violence and hate against me, but not all of our trans brothers and sisters are so fortunate, and with this story we show our solidarity and commemorate the 331 murdered trans people this year alone [Trans Respect Versus Transphoboia (TvT) Trans Murder Monitoring (TMM) research project update published 20th Nov 2019]. I hope this video inspires people to seek education and enlightenment on LGBTQ+ issues and in turn help us to work together for a more accepting and safe future for all.”

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LISTEN: Little Brother Eli - 'Love Between Teens'

A couple of years after leaving the city, Little Brother Eli remain one of my favourite things about Oxford and it was lovely to see them a couple of months back when I dropped by to a Sofar Sounds show there. They played a new track at the show and the studio version is finally out in the world today. Love Between Teens is, if I recall correctly, a song the frontman Alex Grew wrote for his wife - adorable. With a strong bass line throughout it is a funky and catchy number which is sure to go down well in the band's annual Christmas show on 21st December at O2 Academy Oxford - event here for more info/tickets! Now, listen below...

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LISTEN: Eliza Shaddad - 'One Last Embrace'

Eliza Shaddad is a new name on the blog but I've been distantly aware of her music for a couple of years now (I think she may have played alongside King Charles at some point and come onto my radar that way.) With her debut album Future released last year and a couple of EPs under her belt, she's back with a new EP due early next year, and the second single is out now. One Last Embrace is one of her darkest releases yet, a sort of grungy, indie, alt-rock fusion. She describes it as being "about a burning, swirling, complete irrational, totally overwhelming vortex of desire. That moment when you know something is wrong and over, but you want it all the same." 

  

Eliza will be heading out on a UK tour in March, check out the full dates below... tickets here.

9th March: Crofters Rights, Bristol
10th: The Cuban Embassy, Birmingham
11th: The Eagle Inn, Manchester
12th: The Hug & Pint, Glasgow
17th: The Hope and Ruin, Brighton
19th: The Scala, London

Follow Eliza Shaddad - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

TOUR NEWS: White Tail Falls (March 2020)

Bit quiet on the blog front at the moment... working in retail over Christmas is taking its toll a little. A few posts still to come this month and I'll soon be trying to figure out my albums of the year list too! Exciting news to share today however - White Tail Falls has announced his first UK tour for next March and April. Following the release of debut single Give It Up, Son and the video (watch below) the tour will see him take in eight dates with a show at the gorgeous St Pancras Old Church in London on 26th March.

Full dates for the tour are as follows...

19th March: Head Of Steam, Newcastle
20th: The Poetry Club, Glasgow
21st: Royal Park Cellars, Leeds
26th: St Pancras Old Church, London
27th: The Hope & Ruin, Brighton
1st April: Hare & Hounds, Birmingham
2nd: Night People, Manchester
3rd: The Bodega, Nottingham

Follow White Tail Falls - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

LISTEN: Bear's Den - 'Only Son of the Falling Snow' EP

Having kicked off the year with an early stream of the third Bear's Den studio album for a review, over two months before it was released into the wild, it seems only right to be finishing up the year with an early stream of their brand new EP. Only Son of the Falling Snow is released TODAY (listen here) and you can find out for yourselves the beauty that I've been keeping under wraps for a few weeks - I'm really excited for everybody to hear it. It's short but sweet at only three tracks, but holds a lot of seasonal goodness in those 12 minutes. Arriving several months after So That You Might Hear Me, the EP afforded the band the opportunity to work on new music between records, and to give fans an early Christmas present. Much appreciated!

As the band I've seen most this year, and with a show coming up in a London church next week, they've really had an impact on my year. The album stream I had earlier in the year genuinely helped me get through a rough time when I lost my job, and while I loved having the record to myself for a while, it's been incredible to see through gigs, social media posts and the Facebook group they've set up for fans, just how much the album and the band's music in general means to others too. They're a really special band and this EP is just the tip of the iceberg. If Bear's Den are a new name to you, there is so much for you to explore - some of my favourites are Hiding Bottles, Magdalene and Emeralds.

Discussing the new EP, the band's frontman Davie explains that "we wanted to make an EP that felt intimate, nostalgic and united by the theme of Winter. It was a chance between albums for us to work on and explore something more musically sparse and lyrically reflective, working with our longtime friend, collaborator, and producer Ian Grimble. The EP is a collection of songs united by a sense of what Winter means to us. In all its beauty, sadness, stillness and its ability to transform and bring things back to life.” 

Listen to the EP on Spotify here.

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WATCH: 31hours - 'YoYo'

This is exciting - Oxford's 31hours have shared their first new music (as far as I can tell from a trawl of Spotify, Bandcamp etc...) since their 2017 debut album Tell Me What You See. I helped out with  promoting the album launch through Tigmus at the time and I'm excited to see that they're back with new music and to see what else they've got up their sleeves. With some clear local influences from fellow Oxford acts Radiohead and Foals the new track is a lovely little psychedelic indie tune with a cracking video to go with it. Listen/buy on the 31hours Bandcamp here.

Follow 31hours - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

ALBUM NEWS: Brooke Bentham: 'Everyday Nothing'

Brooke Bentham has recently announced the release of her debut album Everyday Nothing on 28th February. At just 23, the album comes from a position of youth, in which hopes and dreams collide with frustration and confusion, resulting in a vulnerable and relatable record. Brooke explains that the record is "in part an ode to the little moments in life, the frustration of being young and unaware of what you want, but getting older and realising you still don't know. It's an album I searched for myself in, filled with questions I asked myself." 

The announcement of the record comes alongside the brand new track Perform For You, which focuses on the power dynamics in toxic relationships, and is inspired by novels Brooke was reading at the time. Talking about the track, she explains that it is "probably my favourite, because it reminds me of lots of the music I love. Once we'd recorded that, I knew we were making an album. Musically it was exactly where I wanted to be." 
      

Brooke Bentham is currently on a support tour with Sam Fender across the UK, with a free London headline coming up on 9th December at The Islington. She's playing a string of headline shows after the album release, dates below and tickets are here.

14th March: Whelan's, Dublin
16th: Yes, Manchester
18th: Crofters Rights, Bristol
19th: Omeara, London

Follow Brooke Bentham - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

WATCH: Leif Vollebekk - 'Blood Brother'

A few weeks ago I had the absolute pleasure of seeing Leif Vollebekk opening up for fellow Canadians Half Moon Run in Brixton. Having listened to his new album New Ways before the show, he was as talented and mesmerising on stage as I'd expected, and I really enjoyed his set. One of my favourite tracks from the album is Blood Brother and I'm excited to see that there is now a music video for the track! The cinematic new video sees Leif hand-cuffed to a seat on a vacant open-top bus as it drives through recognisable parts of central London. Having danced his way to freedom, Leif  gets off of the bus, passing his burden to another passenger.

The video's director Joe Connor (Mumford & Sons, Coldplay) elaborates on the concept behind it: "Leif is an artist whose music takes me to a dreamlike space. I wanted to create a video that found Leif in the middle of a story, where he has come from and where he is going is unknown but the beauty in this video is that here we find an artist, handcuffed and adrift in a city in the early hours of the morning. This beautiful video presents London in the most spectacular way and sets Leif as a quiet voice amongst the rolling city.” 

He's just announced a European headline tour for April 2020, with a second London show after the first sold out in a couple of days. UK listings below - tickets here.

27th April: Bush Hall, London

28th: Bush Hall, London

29th: Exchange, Bristol

30th: Soup Kitchen, Manchester

1st May: Poetry Club, Glasgow

2nd: Soundhouse, Dublin

Follow Leif Vollebekk - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

WATCH: Gengahr - 'Heavenly Maybe'

Fresh from supporting Bombay Bicycle Club on tour recently, London four-piece Gengahr have shared the second track from their upcoming third album, Sanctuary. Premiered as Annie Mac's Hottest Record in the World on BBC Radio 1 a few nights ago, Heavenly Maybe delivers another slice of Gengahr magic and I can't get enough of it. An irresistibly danceable tune (do you hear that bass line?!) at heart, frontman Felix Bushe's trademark falsetto takes the spotlight and sounds as glorious as ever. Watch our for Sanctuary, it's due for release on January 31st.

If you like what you're hearing, you can catch Gengahr across the UK and further afield next year across February and March - UK dates below and tickets/album pre-order here.

13th Feb: Band on the Wall, Manchester
14th: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
16th: King Tuts, Glasgow
17th: The Sound House, Dublin
19th: Fleece, Bristol
20th: Patterns, Brighton
21st: EartH, London

Follow Gengahr online - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.